Sound deadening screen



Feb. 24, 1970 F. G. STARK I 3,497,029

SOUND DEADENING SCREEN Filed April 16, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ICOREST 6, STARK BY CWQ e Feb. 24, 1970 F. G. STARK SOUND DEADENING SCREEN File da n. 16, 1969 3 sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. /2 05r 6, $742K W 4 fi m-.4...

United States Patent 3,497,029 SOUND DEADENING SCREEN Forest G. Stark, Jamestown, N.Y., assignor to Art Metal-Knoll (Iorporation, Jamestown, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 16, 1969, Ser. No. 816,703 Int. Cl. E0411 1/99 US. Cl. 181-30 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable-type sound-attenuating screen or partition of a dual laminar construction comprising two perforated metal facing sheets with a core of two layers of corrugated kraft paper or honeycomb, separated by a kraft paper membrane. The metal sheets are flanged on all four sides and spot-welded to a channel member frame to form a hollow metal panel into which sound may pass through the perforations to be absorbed in the paper core. The panel is supported by end posts mounted on suitable footings and the outer surfaces of the facing sheets are coated by a flocking process, which produces a sound pervious surface of 50 and 90 mil nylon fibers imbedded in a layer of epoxy that is abrasion-resistant and adds to the sound attenuating properties of the paper core. The panel shape may be varied to achieve further acoustical effects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of interior structures and more particularly to a sound-attenuating structure for use in interior design.

In designing interior structures, certain qualities are generally desirable in almost any component which is to be used. A structural component must have sufficient strength while being light in weight; it should be versatile in use, that is, capable of being constructed in various shapes and readily movable for different positioning; and it should be functional and yet attractive in appearance. A frequently important quality is the acoustical property, that is, the ability of the structure to absorb, attenuate, transmit or reflect sound and the structure should always be wear-resistant for long life and comparatively maintenance free.

In the past, emphasis has generally been on strength and permanence of location in interior structures, but in recent years, versatility has become an important factor, requiring structures of light weight for ready relocation and general attractiveness to aid functionality.

The structural member of the present invention embodies all of the desirable features mentioned above, in providing a portable, light Weight screen or partition with improved acoustical properties and a generally attractive exterior, requiring a minimum of maintenance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention embodies a structural screen or partition having improved sound-attentuating qualities and of a dual, laminar construction comprising two perforated metal facing sheets with a cellular core of two honeycomb or corrugated layers separated by an interior membrane. The core members are of a sound-absorbing material, such as paper, and the facing sheets and membrane are attached to the edges of the honeycomb so that the honeycomb cells form attenuating chambers for sound waves entering through the perforations in the metal facing sheets. The outer surfaces of the facing sheets are coated with a layer of decorative flocking material which permits the passage of sound and which assists in deadening the incident sound waves striking and entering the laminar panel. The metal sheets are flanged on all four sides and attached to a channel member frame to form a structural panel which may then be mounted on end posts with suitable footings to form a free-standing portable screen or partition. The flanges, footings and end posts may be of stainless steel and the flocking material may be composed of vinyl fibers to provide an abrasionresistant maintenance-free exterior. The panel may be constructed in various shapes to achieve decorative and further acoustical effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a screen constructed in accordance with the present invention and in a curved configuration;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one end of the screen shown in FIG 1 with portions broken away to reveal the internal construction;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the screen taken at the lines 4-4 in 'FIG. 3, illustrating the details of construction; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the means for mounting the screen on the supporting end posts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in a preferred embodiment comprising a free-standing screen or partition, however, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is capable of use in many other structural applications.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a screen or partition constructed in accordance with the present invention. The screen 1 is formed in a curved configuration and provided with toed-in footing members 2, but flat screens with parallel end footings and sectional screens, angled so as to stand without footings, as well as other shapes, are also contemplated.

The details of the construction are more clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. As seen in FIG. 2 the screen 1 is composed of two back-to-back sections, 3 and 4, each of which consists of an outer facing sheet 5 with a layer of cellular honeycomb material 6 bonded to its inner surface and the two sections 3 and 4 are separated by a central membrane 7.

The facing sheets 5 are preferably of a metal, such as steel, which provides adequate structural strength and yet permits a comparatively thin construction. For example, the screen 1 shown may be of a thickness of one inch for which 20-gauge steel sheets will 'be suitable. Each of the sheets 5 has flanges 8 on all four sides which overlap four channel members 9 connected together to form a frame. The channel members 9 may also be of steel so that when the inner surfaces of the flanges 8 are spot-welded to the four channel members 9, a hollow composite steel panel 10 is formed, completely enclosing the honeycomb material 6 in the interior.

Turning now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the steel sheets 5 are provided with a series of holes or perforations 11 which permit sound waves striking the faces of the panel 10 to pass into the interior. The components in the interior of the panel 10, that is, the two cellular honeycomb layers 6 and the intermediate membrane 7 are constructed of a sound-absorbing material. Many varieties of cellulosic material may be used for this purpose, but a preferred material is kraft paper, which is a commercial heavy, brown, long fibered paper made by the conventional sulfate process. The kraft paper honeycomb may be of various configurations but the corrugated type such as that sold under the trademark Verticel, owned by Verticel Corporation of Englewood, Colo. has been found to be particularly suitable. This is the configuration shown in FIGURE 3, which comprises corrugated layers 6a and flat intermediate layers 6b.

The open faces of the two honeycomb layers 6 are bonded to the internal faces of the steel sheets 5 and to the opposite surfaces of the intermediate membrane 7 which may also be of kraft paper. In this arrangement, as shown in detail in FIGURE 4, a number of chambers 12 are formed within the composite panel 10, having side walls 611 and 6b and one end wall 7a, formed of kraft paper and an outer end wall of thin steel containing perforations 11. Sound waves entering a chamber 12 through the perforations 11 in the steel sheet 5 will be trapped and attentuated by the paper walls. If it is desired to use the screen 1 in an area with characteristic noise or sounds, the dimensions of the chambers 12 may be arranged to be particularly destructive sounds of certain given wavelengths.

A further feature of the present invention which contributes to attenuating sounds while providing an attractive and serviceable finish for the screen, comprises coating the outer faces of the metal sheets 5 with a suitable flocking material 13. A preferred coating is achieved by applying a layer of epoxy 14 to the outer face of the metal sheets 5 and spraying the epoxy while it is still tacky before setting, with a flocking material 13. A preferred flocking material is comprised of 50 and 90 mil nylon fibers 15 which provides an outer coating on the surfaces of the panel 10, giving a visual impression of a textured fabric. The fibers 15 may be of various decorative colors to contribute to the attractiveness of the entire screen 1. The nylon fiber exterior is also of particular advantage in that it is abrasion-resistant and requires very little maintenance and further, in contrast to previously used fabrics, it is moisture resistant and will not sag or wrinkle.

The epoxy layer 14 is preferably applied so as to leave openings at the points of the perforations 11 in the steel sheets 5. This permits the sound wave energy striking the panel to enter and be trapped in the cellular chambers 12. FIGURE 4 illustrates the preferred epoxy coating configuration. It will be seen in FIGURE 4 that the flocking fibers 15 in adhering to the epoxy layer 14 tend to obscure the perforation openings from view, while not closing them. Thus, the outer surface of the panel gives a visual impression of a continuous textured fabric rather than a perforated sheet, and yet the panel retains its desired acoustical properties.

While such an attractive acoustical structure is capable of many uses, the preferred embodiment as previously mentioned, is in the form of a portable free-standing screen 1. Therefore, the composite one-inch thick panel 10 is mounted at each end, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, on a one-inch square endpost 16 which may be welded steel tubing. The endposts 16 are braced at the bottom by means of eighteen-inch footing members 2 and are capped at the top by die-cast plugs 17 having the same finish as the endposts 16. The top of the panel 10 may be capped with a fit-inch by l-inch cold-rolled bar trim strip 18 that is curved to coincide with the arc of the panel 10 and has the same finish as the endposts 16 and plugs 17. The trim strip 18 is secured to the top of the panel by means of threaded studs 19 (see FIGURE 2) that are resistance welded to the underside of the trim strip 18 and are engaged by spring clips 20 positioned in holes drilled in the channel member 9 at the top of the panel 10. A %-inch by Az-inch spacer strip 21 is provided between the top trim strip 18 and the upper edge of the panel 10 and has suitable holes drilled therein, registering with both the threaded studs 19 on the trim strip 18 and the spring clips 20 in the upper channel member 9 to permit engagement thereof.

A trim strip 22 of similar dimension is also provided between the ends of the panel 10 and the endposts 16. A series of registering holes are drilled in the trim strip 22 and the endpost 16, and the two are fastened together by means of suitable fasteners, such as connecting screws 23. The heads 24 of the fasteners 23 extend beyond the trim strip 22 and the panel 10 is mounted to the endpost 16 by providing a series of keyhole slots 25 in the vertical channel members 9 which will engage the heads 24 on the fasteners 23. If a center support footing 26 is used, it may be attached directly to the panel 10 as shown in FIGURE 2, by drilling a hole in the lower channel member 9 and securing the footing 26 by means of a threaded fastener 27 passing through cooperating holes in the footing 26 and an intermediate spacing washer 28.

The flanges 9, the endposts 16, the footings 2 and the trim and spacer strips may all be of stainless steel to provide a long-lasting, abrasion-resistant and comparatively maintenance-free outer surface along with the vinyl flocking surface. Thus, the entire outer surface of the screen is wear resistant and when desired the screen may be easily dismantled by merely lifting the panel off the endposts and releasing the various holding screws.

In order to achieve further acoustical effects the panel 10 may be constructed in various desirable shapes, such as the curved configuration described. By using different contouring, any portion of the sound which is reflected by the surface of the screen may be .made to destructively interfere with other incoming or reflected sound waves. The screen may also be contoured or sectionalized to achieve decorative effects.

It will thus be seen that an improved structural member is provided which is of suitable strength and yet light in weight, attractive, abrasion-resistant, long-lasting and comparatively maintenance-free. In addition, the member has improved sound-attenuating qualities and is extremely versatile in use, being capable of construction in various desirable shapes and colors and is readily portable.

What is claimed is:

1. A sound-attenuating structural panel comprising:

(a) a metal facing sheet having a plurality of perforations therein;

(b) a layer of sound-absorbing honeycomb material having one edge attached to the inner side of said facing sheet with the cells of said honeycomb communicating with said perforations;

(c) a sheet of sound-absorbing material having opposed major surfaces of which one is attached to the outer edge of said honeycomb layer; and

(d) a layer of flocking material on the outside of said facing sheet permitting sound waves to pass through said perforations into said cells.

'2. A panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein said honeycomb material comprises a plurality of layers of corrugated kraft paper bonded along the corrugations to intermediate layers of flat kraft paper.

3. A panel as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sheet of sound-absorbing material is a fiat laminate of kraft paper, bonded to the edges of said flat and corrugated layers.

4. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flocking material comprises a plurality of nylon fibers embedded in a layer of epoxy.

5. A panel as claimed in claim 4, wherein said nylon fibers comprise a mixture of 50 mil and mil fibers.

6. A panel as claimed in claim 1, comprising (e) a second perforated metal facing sheet;

(f) a second layer of sound-absorbing honeycomb material attached to the inner side of said second facing sheet, said second layer having its outer edge attached to the other major surface of said sheet of sound-absorbing material; and

(g) a layer of flocking material on the outer surface of said second facing sheet.

7. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein said panel is mounted on a free-standing support.

8. A panel as claimed in claim 7, wherein said support comprises:

(e) free-standing endposts disposed at opposite ends of said panel;

(f) male connecting means on said end-posts; and

(g) female connecting means on said panel for receiving said male means to support said panel on said posts.

9. A panel as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

(e) the dimensions of said honeycomb material are predetermined to trap sound Waves of a given Wavelength; and

(f) the panel is contoured to control the reflection of sound waves.

10. A sound-deadening screen comprising: i

(a) a sound attenuating panel including:

(i) two perforated facing sheets having flanges on their sides;

(ii) frame members attached to said flanges to to form an enclosure with said facing sheets;

(iii) a sound attenuating material in said enclosure;

(iv) a flocking material on the outside surfaces of said facing sheets permitting sound waves to enter said enclosure through said perforations; and

(v) connecting means on said frame members;

(b) two freestanding endposts for supporting said panel, said endposts including:

(i) footing means; and

6 (ii) connecting means releasably cooperating with said connecting means on said frame members; and (c) a capping member having connecting means releasably cooperating with said connecting means on said frame members for attachment to said panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,350,513 6/ 1944 Leadbetter. 2,363,068 11/1944 Leadbetter. 2,893,067 7/1959 Meek. 3,200,734 8/ 1965 Burns et al.

FOREIGN PATENTS 157,356 7/1954 Australia. 206,535 4/ 1956 Australia. 575,543 5/1959 Canada. 774,333 9/1934 France. 663,879 12/ 1951 Great Britain.

ROBERT S. WARD, J R., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

